Buddy Murphy: 5 pivotal moments that show he was destined for WWE's main event scene

#1. A deadly alliance

New friends? Buddy Murphy aligns with AOP and Seth Rollins

As a WWE superstar, it's clear that it pays to never be too downhearted in defeat, but equally to never get too carried away after a victory. As late 2019 turned in to 2020, Buddy Murphy learned this lesson in a painful fashion.

No doubt still on a high after his string of wins, he well and truly came unstuck when it came to facing up to the architect of the Black Mass, Aleister Black. The enigmatic Dutchman picked up a hat-trick of successive wins against the Australian, including a telling success at the TLC: Tables, Ladders, and Chairs PPV. The last of those wins came on the 13 January episode of RAW, leaving Murphy with more than a little New Year misery to deal with.

Clearly undergoing a change in mindset, Murphy would be stationed at ringside later in the night as the main event of the evening ended in chaos, with Seth Rollins and AOP brawling with Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe, and Big Show. Rollins would call upon Murphy to offer some assistance, with the 31-year-old clearly checking his conscience at the door on his way back to the ring to play his part in the beat-down.

Murphy and the heel trio would be left standing tall in the middle of the ring at the show’s end, virtually confirming his new-found status as one of WWE’s big hitters.

It had been coming.